Trace of a Black Cat
by illutia mist
Summary: He was already gone and I was living my normal life again, or so I thought. Little did I know that our encounter in December was just the beginning. A sequel to Fridays in December.
1. Prologue

**Greetings!**

**This is the sequel to Fridays in December. I hope you'll enjoy reading.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice. I do own the plot of this story.**

**Revised: September 28th, 2013.**

**-o-O-o-**

**Trace of a Black Cat**

**-o-**

**Prologue**

**-o-O-o-**

I didn't know how it started.

'_Run!'_

I just remembered that single word before I found myself running blindly through the dark forest with bare feet, stumbling over trees large roots, low bushes, and also unseen small stones. My feet stung from stepping on the uneven path, which filled with gravels, twigs, and dry leaves. My breath was also irregular and heavy. I wondered how long I had been running like this.

I couldn't stop. Although I couldn't recall why, somehow, in the back of my mind, I knew I would be in a serious danger if I stopped. A peril which had my life at stake. This was the reason why everybody sacrificed themselves so I could get away.

But I couldn't remember who 'everybody' was. There were only a few vague shadows lingering in my head every time I tried to bethink.

I just knew I had to run faster, deeper into the forest, and find a safe place to hide.

But how could I was only by myself?

I should help the others, though I didn't know who they were!

I halted on my way and turned to run back to the place I had been running from, but what I saw before me was bottomless darkness. The trees and path I had been passing just now were gone, covered by the unknown shade.

My feet were rooted to the ground at the sight while the shadow kept approaching. _Run, damn it! Run! _I willed myself to turn and sprint away from the place, but my body wouldn't listen to me. I tried to shout, but my voice was stuck in my throat.

And I was alone. Nobody would come to save me.

I could just stare with mouth wide open as the darkness swept the ground I stepped on and slowly engulfed me. Cold embraced me from all directions and something invisible squeezed my whole being tightly until I could hardly breathe.

What was actually happening?

I couldn't comprehend. No matter how hard I twisted my brain to think, to remember, the answer wouldn't come.

The imperceptible thing enfolded me harder, pushing all the remaining oxygen out of my lungs. I gasped at the lack of air and soon, I found myself weakening. The remaining energy I had was gone gradually as the air left me and my eyes started to drop. I was on the edge of consciousness.

Just before I drifted off into oblivion, I faintly heard a familiar voice calling out to me. Agitated and worried.

"Mikan!"

It was Natsume's.


	2. 1st Hint: The Nightmare

**Revised: September 28th, 2013.**

**-o-O-o-**

**Trace of a Black Cat**

**-o-**

**1st Hint: The Nightmare**

**-o-O-o-**

…So cold…

'…_n!'_

…Need air…

'…_kan!'_

…Can't…breathe…

'_Mikan!'_

I gasped as I snapped my eyes open, not wanting to give up to the unseen thing that grasped my being tightly. But instead of the pitch black darkness, I found myself staring at the familiar ceiling of my bedroom. I blinked a few times, trying to digest what I had experienced just a few seconds ago, while attempting to calm my jagged breathing.

Nightmare.

It was the first thought which came across my mind after I finally took in my current surroundings. Turning my attention to the alarm clock on the nightstand, I discovered it was five in the morning. The dawn was approaching, yet the sky outside was still the same dark as the night before.

I sighed and draped one arm over my eyes, my other hand gripping the front of my pajamas tightly. The vision of the part where I was held forcefully flashed before me. It didn't feel like a dream at all. I even still remembered the feeling of being unable to breathe. It was suffocating.

Once my breathing evened, I moved my arm away from my face and sat up. Staring at the wall far on the opposite side, I closed my eyes and sighed. Natsume's anxious calls replayed in my head and my chest tightened. I never heard him sound like that before, so why?

Was it really only a dream?

I glanced at the bedside table and stretched my hand to pull the first drawer out. Coming into my view immediately was a pendant with a ruby colored stone in the middle of a picture of wings and shield—Natsume's pendant. Attached to the necklace beside the pendant was the black cat key chain I gave him before as my early Christmas present… and also our parting memento when we had a fight.

It had been more than one month since Natsume disappeared and the demolition started. Since the shop and the school were in the same direction, I had no choice but to pass by the building almost every morning and afternoon. It was hard to witness how the shop was being torn down slowly. It was only two weeks ago that all of the building was disintegrated, leaving only debris of bricks and timbers. And yesterday, the field had been emptied of the rubble and broken planks.

I was sad. The thought of Natsume might not appear anymore haunted my mind once again, but I tried to stay optimist, reminding myself that I still got a hold of the pendant which connected me to him. For me, the necklace was a kind of solid proof of his existence and an unspoken promise that we would see each other again. That was why I couldn't lose it. It felt like all my hope would be crushed to nothing if the pendant was taken from me.

It was odd how I could be this attached to him just from seeing each other for less than one month. He was nothing to me but a good friend who only appeared in last December. Yet he had helped me so much with his unordinary power. Letting me see my parents once again, curing my loneliness, saving my brother's life, and giving me so much more memorable experiences other people couldn't get. I was indebted to him that much, especially the part when he saved my brother. I hadn't conveyed my thanks enough.

Staring down at the pendant in my hands, I couldn't help but wonder what Natsume was. Even though I said I thought of him as Santa's Representative, I wasn't sure it was what he really was. I meant, he was too dark; the atmosphere he cast around him was. His appearance was also less cheery for people to mistake him as one of Santa's buddies.

Ghost? He could be one. But it wouldn't make sense if I contemplated on the things he could do with his power. No matter how hard I thought, I could never figure out that one question, which was also one of the many reasons why I wanted to see him again.

I heaved a soft sigh and lay back down, holding the pendant close to my chest. The previous dream haunted me again, but I found it less scary this time. There was one thing from the dream I preferred the most, and it was to hear my name said in his voice.

'_Mikan.'_

I kept on repeating that particular part in my mind. Again and again until I was satisfied.

And before I knew it, I was asleep once again.

The nightmare didn't show up anymore.

-o-O-o-

"Here's your breakfast today. Scrambled egg and toasts."

I yawned for the umpteenth time, my right hand covering my wide opened mouth, before I faced my breakfast of the day sleepily and grabbed the fork. Even after the nightmare was gone, one hour of sleep wasn't enough for me. "Bon appétit," I mumbled, cutting the corner of the toast and jabbing at it.

"You look like you're lacking sleep. Got a nightmare?" my brother asked as he sat down on the seat across from me, facing his own breakfast which was similar to mine.

I impaled my fork to the scrambled egg and brought it into my mouth. "Once," I answered while munching on the food, "but all's fine after that." My brother kept giving me a meaningful gaze, his own food untouched. I could guess what was running in his head at that time, more or less.

There were two common things which usually caused me to have a nightmare. It was either because of watching the horror movies, or simply because I was missing our late parents. As of now, judging from his mien, perhaps he was thinking I had a nightmare about the day our parents left us behind, which was utterly wrong.

"It's not about our parents," I said, not wanting him to keep on being misled by his own speculation.

My brother looked startled upon hearing my statement. He blinked once and laughed lightly. "I didn't mention anything about that."

"It's only an ordinary nightmare. Perhaps I was too tired." I looked up at him. "Don't worry. I'm fine."

He smiled and began to play with his breakfast. "Fine then. Just don't keep any problem to yourself."

"Will do."

"Good."

No longer wanting to talk about the nightmare, I decided to divert the subject of our morning conversation to a lighter topic, such as when my brother would come home today and what he would like to have for dinner later. It worked though, and the laughs and teases we usually shared soon filled the room.

After finishing our breakfast and cleaning up our plates, my brother and I headed to the door, not forgetting to grab our coats on the way since it was still cold outside. I slipped into my winter boots while my brother put on his working shoes. Sometimes I wondered whether he felt cold only having to use those in winter, but he didn't complain much about it and continued his routine in peace. I saluted him for that.

"Shall we go now?" my brother asked from the door, his hand ready to turn the knob.

I stood up and gave him a nod as my signal. He opened the door, then we stepped out of the house together. The chilly air immediately blew on my face. I couldn't resist the need to close my eyes at the feeling. It was still a bit cold today.

"Use this." My brother wrapped his red scarf around my neck, covering the exposed skin so the cold air wouldn't be able to reach it.

I blinked at him. "But it's yours."

"It doesn't matter." He tied a loose knot just below my neck and smiled. "We haven't bought one for you ever since your orange one was given to you-know-who eight years ago. Or is it nine?"

"Nine," I muttered irritatingly. Oh yeah, that was a really old story.

I was on my way home from a friend's house at that time and there was a kid sitting quietly near a pole. I could tell the kid was a she from the silky raven hair draping on her shoulders and the long fringes covering her eyes. I remembered I thought she was beautiful, with a pale complexion and fragile appearance. Even so, she didn't say anything no matter what I asked, so I concluded that she was shy around strangers.

Since she looked cold and lonely, I lent her my scarf and immediately ran straight home just in my coat after that. Only when I thought of getting back the scarf from her later that I realized I didn't know where she lived. She was no longer standing near the pole when I went there the next day.

"The little kid looked cold and she was all alone. I couldn't help it," I told my brother. "Besides, I didn't see her anymore after that."

"Then you can imagine how surprised I was when I knew you gave away your favorite scarf, which Mom had knitted for you diligently as a birthday gift." My brother patted my head gently. "You have a big heart. Mom and Dad were also proud of you."

"My head would surely grow big if you said that to me nine years ago."

"Which was why I never bothered to mention it, and so did Mom and Dad," he admitted, which got a light slap on the arm from me in the end. He chuckled, grabbing my shoulders and turning me to face the path to school. "Anyway, enough with reminiscing the past. You should be going now or you'll be late."

I looked back at him through my shoulder, grinning. "Yes, sir!" I saluted him and dashed forward, not looking back anymore. "See you later!"

"Be careful!" I heard my brother shout at me and lifted one hand to let him know that I caught his message very well.

After running for a while, I slowed down, aware of the melting snow which made the street slippery than usual. The slush already covered my shoes even though I hadn't walked too long. I looked up to gaze at the houses and shops I passed on my way. The piling snow on the roof had lessened, allowing me to see the color of the rooftops again. There were water droplets falling down from the edge of the shops' canopies too.

Winter had almost come to an end.

Soon, I would be graduating from the senior high school. I had to concentrate on the university entrance exam more and stop thinking unnecessary things. However, I couldn't cease the uneasy feeling that inhabited my mind since last night. The nightmare, which I believed would be forgotten like any other nightmare should be, was unfortunately refused to go and quietly staying in the small corner of my head.

What did that mean? Was it not an ordinary nightmare?

My right hand slowly moved and touched the area below my collarbone where Natsume's pendant resided. I never brought the necklace with me before, but today, I felt like having it around. It might sound weird, but the necklace seemed to radiate protecting warmth once in a while, making me feel safe. It was also able to lessen the discomfort in some way. Last night too, the restlessness from the nightmare was gone when I slept for the second time with the pendant in my hold.

Natsume's necklace certainly wasn't a regular accessory. Perhaps it had something more, like a hidden ancient power or something like that.

Sighing, I curled my fingers, grabbing the pendant through the layers of my coat and shirt. The warmth immediately seeped into my cold hand. "Natsume…" I whispered his name, just for encouragement. I felt silly doing this, but it made me feel much better.

I hoped we could meet soon.

"Gyaah! We're late!"

I blinked and tore my gaze away from the pendant in time to spot two students running frantically to the direction I was heading to. They were still yelling about 'being late' as one of them slipped and almost fell due to the slush along the street.

That was when everything clicked in my head.

"Crap! I'm late!" I cursed under my breath as I made my way to school.

Thanks to the thawing snow, it surely wouldn't be an easy journey.

-o-O-o-

I noticed something unusual the moment I entered the classroom.

The teacher hadn't been in the class. The students were still chattering with their group. No one cared about my tardiness, so I just walked casually to my seat. But those were typical.

What bugged me was Sumire's absence. When I asked the other students about her, no one seemed to see her today.

Strange.

That girl was never late before, let alone be absent without any excuse. When I reached school every morning, she usually had been in her seat, which was only in front of mine. If she couldn't attend the class that day, whether it was because she was ill or something urgent came up, she would call me or inform the school.

The possibility that Sumire might be late did cross my mind, but the idea was out of my list when she didn't show up even though the teacher had come and the lesson started.

The other likelihood I could come out with was she was sick. So, once the lunchtime came, I dashed to the cafeteria to buy foods and immediately called her after I sat down on one of the available chairs. She didn't pick up, which left me no choice but to dial her house's phone number. Her mother answered in less than five seconds.

"_Hello?_"

"Auntie, this is Mikan."

"_Ah, what's wrong, Mikan? I thought you're at school?_"

"Yes, I'm still at school. It's lunchtime right now." I paused for a while. "Sumire didn't attend the class today. Is she sick?"

"_Sumire?_" Confusion could be heard in her voice. "_No. She left the house at six fifty as usual. She told me she was going to school._"

I frowned at the unexpected answer. "No. I don't see her today. I thought she was sick. I had tried dialing her cell-phone number, but no one picked up."

There was a deep intake of breath from the other side of the line. Auntie must have been shocked to learn that her daughter was, as of now, missing. After a few seconds of silence, she seemed to found her voice again and talked to me. It was then that she started to sound panic.

"_I will try to call her cell-phone then. Perhaps she couldn't pick it up when you called her. She might be able to answer it now._"

Perhaps. "Okay."

"_Don't worry, Mikan. We must believe that Sumire is fine. She might just have something come up that she couldn't attend the school and contact us._"

But Auntie's voice didn't sound convincing.

Nevertheless, not wanting to crush her hope, I still answered, "Yeah."

The call ended. I stared at my cell-phone for a while before I pocketed it and devoured my humble lunch, a bread and a can of soft drink.

My lunchtime was spent with me worrying over Sumire. I hoped she didn't get into any trouble. She didn't seem to be that type of girl and she usually could solve her problem easily, though sometimes it could lead to a long conversation of reconciliation. But she not contacting me, it made me restless. She could at least made one phone call, no matter how brief it was.

The break almost ended when my cell-phone vibrated inside my pocket. I took it out and answered the call once I saw the number of the caller on the screen. "Yes, Auntie?"

"_I couldn't reach her, Mikan. No matter how many times I called her number, no one answered._" Auntie sounded frightened now, and it didn't help easing the worry I had been trying to suppress.

"I understand, Auntie. I'll try to search for her. She might still be around here and…" I swallowed. "…and if I can't find her, we'll report to the police. Is that fine?"

"_Yes. Yes, it is… Oh God, I hope she doesn't get involved in something dangerous._"

"She's fine, Auntie. She would be fine."

I spend the next five minutes trying to calm Sumire's mother before the call ended. Wasting no more time, I scurried to the class and grabbed my bag and coat. The class representative caught me when I was about to walk out of the class, so I made up an excuse, saying I had an urgent matter I had to settle, and dashed out.

Before, I had never sneaked out of school and didn't even bother to try. But today, encouraged by the strong will to find Sumire, I let my instinct take over and boldly rushed to the back of the school. It was a good thing that there were so many trees growing there. That gave me a lesser chance to be found out, for I could hide behind the huge bark if someone was coming. I could also climb the tree and jump over the school wall, which was exactly what I was doing now.

Drawing a deep breath, I moved to stand on top of the wall and crouched down before hopping down. The landing was successful, leaving me a bit stinging sensation on my feet from the hard contact with the ground. Though I managed to get out without any serious scratch, the whole escape performance did leave dirt on my uniform, knees, and hands.

But that wasn't my concern for now.

After I was outside of the school, I decided to search at the nearest area where students often gathered to buy some snacks. The first place I could think of was Goda's snack store. It was located in the south of the school. And that was how Sumire found her job at the Alice Gift shop before. She used to hang out at the store until one day she saw a job vacancy notification hung on the brick wall of the snack shop. Even after the Alice Gift shop was closed, she often took me to the store to buy various snacks. I had to admit that the snacks were delicious.

Anyway, enough reminiscing.

Leaning my hands on my knees while panting from all the running, I looked up to see the familiar large nameplate with 'Goda's Snack' words printed on it. I gazed around the place but couldn't find any sign of Sumire there. Oh well, perhaps I should ask the shopkeeper if they saw her coming today.

Sweet fragrance of candies and cookies filled my nostrils once I stepped into the shop. The colorful pastel colors adorned the interior, bringing out a cheerful yet gentle atmosphere. The ambiance united with the smell and enticed every visitor to have a taste of the products displayed in the cases.

I wasn't an exception. My mouth started to dry and my tongue itched to take a bite of every confectionery I saw. I might have done just that if I didn't remember what my intention coming to this shop in the first place was. "Excuse me," I called out to the shopkeeper who was standing behind the counter.

The woman, who looked like she was in her thirties, looked up from the cash register and smiled. "Welcome. May I help you?"

"Um… I'm searching for my friend. Her name is Sumire Shouda," I said. "She has shoulder length black hair that's a bit curly in the end of the strands. She often came here to buy snacks."

A knowing smile formed on the woman's face. "Ah, yes, Sumire. She did come here this morning," she said, leaving the counter to the front door. I trailed after her. Once we were outside of the shop, she pointed to the right. "I think she went that way." My gaze followed her finger, staring to the direction she was pointing at. "She said she was going to meet someone."

"Did she say anything else? Like who's this someone she's meeting with?"

The woman put a finger on her chin, her eyebrows furrowing. "I think she said she was meeting an idiot."

Geez, Sumire, that wasn't clear enough for a clue! "And the place? Did she mention where she's going to see this person?"

The woman shook her head. "No, she didn't."

"I see… Thank you for your help," I said, bowing my head.

The woman smiled. "You're welcome."

After bidding the shopkeeper farewell, I trod down the path I was told. I knew this road, though I only passed through this place whenever I accompanied Sumire to Goda's Snack shop. What I didn't understand was why Sumire went to the opposite direction to meet someone just a few minutes before school started. She wasn't the kind of person who would stray from her routine schedule unless something prompted her to do so. If she had to risk herself being late, then the matter must be either important or urgent. But still, what was so difficult to give me a call if she was going to be absent today?

Having no clue about Sumire's exact location, I took out my cell-phone and dialed her number again. My eyes scrutinized every window of the shops I could find along the road just in case, the dialing sound ringing in my ear all the time. As I moved further, my steps became hesitant. The end of the road was already nearing and yet I hadn't caught any glimpse of her. She also didn't pick up my call no matter how many times called her. The worry within me grew even worse.

When I reached the end of the road, I had no choice but to follow the one and only turn to the left. A bit more walking and I arrived at the fork in the road. The view unfolded before me was so familiar in my head. When I turned my head to the right, I was convinced. Only three houses away from the street I had just walked out of was the empty field which used to be Alice Gift shop.

This was the usual path I had taken every day to school.

"Now what?" I ruffled my hair in frustration, trying to decide which way to go. The left road would lead me back to school, while the right road would bring me to my house.

I glared at my cell-phone and decided to dial Sumire's number again, though I no longer had any hope that she would pick up. However, this time, I heard a familiar ringtone chime faintly in the distance. It was too familiar for me that I started to get nervous. I turned my head to the right, where I thought the sound was coming from, and ended the call.

The sound stopped.

I dialed Sumire's number again. The same ringtone reverberated indistinctly in the air.

After confirming my doubt, I wasted no time in heading straight to the source of the voice. My pace increased with every step I took. My heartbeat was beating faster and faster. I kept dialing Sumire's number even though no one would answer it. Sure, deep inside me, I still hoped Sumire would pick up my call, but, more than that, I had another intention. I wanted to make sure whether what I was speculating right now was right.

The ringtone went louder and louder as I continued walking. I could already see the barbed wire fence that barricaded the outside border of the shop's ground. Swallowing my nervousness, I inhaled deeply and took five uncertain strides to the place.

On the other side of the barbed wire fence was an empty field. New bricks and large wooden beams were piled at the right side of the place, while a backhoe and loader were parked on the other side. It seemed like the development was finally started.

I brought my cell-phone in front of me and dialed Sumire's number again. The ring tone rang loudly from the direction of the wooden beams, drawing my attention right away. I leaped over the wire fence and darted to the piles, perking up my ears to detect the exact location of the sound.

It turned out that finding the source of the sound wasn't something difficult. On the other side of the wooden beams, Sumire's cell-phone vibrated helplessly against the hard ground, my number on the screen. My speculation was right. She didn't have her cell-phone with her.

But what was she doing by coming here? And where did she go?

I looked up to gaze around the vacant field and then shouted, "Sumire!"

There was no answer.

"Sumire! Are you there?!"

Was she kidnapped? Was she fine?

I couldn't stop those questions from emerging in my head by turns. The anxiety and fear overwhelmed my being so fast. "Sumireee!" I yelled frantically.

No one replied me but the wind.

I panted from the shouting and crouched down to pick up Sumire's cell-phone. Gripping it securely in my hand, I brought it to my chest and bit my lower lip in desperation.

No.

I shouldn't be like this.

I had to believe that she was fine.

Sumire was a strong girl and I was sure she would find a way to contact us. Yes. Now all I could do was contact Auntie and inform the police regarding Sumire's disappearance. This was the most efficient way to find her.

Standing up on my feet, I turned around and started to make my way out of this field. In the midst of my panic, I raised my cell-phone and searched for Sumire's house number in my contact list while keeping Sumire's phone in my coat pocket. _Auntie… Auntie… Sumire… Auntie… Police… _were all I could think of. My lips and fingers were trembling as my eyes went through the list. I had to be fast. There was no time to waste.

However, being too occupied on the screen, I barely paid attention to my surrounding until my feet knocked on something. With a surprised gasp, I found myself soon lying on the ground flatly. My whole body stung from the impact, and the most prominent pain was on a spot just below my collarbone. The warning alarm in my head immediately went off.

"The necklace!" I gasped. Sitting up on the ground, I frantically removed the necklace from my neck and brought it in front of me to inspect it closely. I would be damned if the necklace was broke. Natsume wouldn't be happy at all if something ever happened to this. Well, the pendant seemed all right…

"This is surprising."

I gasped out of surprise at the sudden voice coming from behind me and leaped forward out of reflex. When I turned my head back to the spot I was sitting on before, I saw a man in black cloak standing there. He wore a black top hat and a midnight blue mask covered half of his face, a platinum rod in his gloved hand. Green ivy plant, which I believed was counterfeit, encircled around the rod, making it look beautiful but also deadly at the same time. With such appearance, the man seemed to be out of place. However, compared to his flashy costume, it was the thin smile on his face that crept me out.

"So you're the one keeping him," the man said while tilting his head. "Isn't this too good to be true?"

What was this stranger talking about?

"I'm sorry?" was the smartest sentence I could say at that moment. Wrong move. I should have just ignored that man and run before he did anything strange. He could be a criminal for all I knew.

"To find _his_ trace of magic here is already lucky enough, after a long time it is. I thought I needed a few years more to track down the pendant." He then chuckled before pointing his rod at me. "But then, you showed up with that in your hand." His lips split into a grin. "And it seemed you have your own value too."

What the—? Did this man know what this necklace meant?

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, holding the pendant close to my chest. "Trace of magic? Keeping him? My value? What nonsense are you spouting?"

The stranger smiled and swung his road. "It's fine if you don't understand," he said, holding out his hand. "Anyway, I need that pendant. Now if you're kind enough to give me…"

"No." I took a step back and glared at him, quickly wrapping the necklace's chain around my left wrist in case my grip on the pendant loosened. "If you're a thief, then you better make a run now, because I'll scream and—"

"Natsume."

At the mention of that name, I found my whole body freezing on the spot. The rest of the words which was about to left my lips seemed to melt and disappear all at once.

A grin slowly made its way across the man's face. "Jackpot."

Before I could ask anything, the man slammed the end of his rod to the ground and his shadow lurched toward me. It swept away the uneven ground, overlapping the color with its black, and united with my shadow. I looked past the barbed wire fence, intending to shout for help, and it suddenly clicked in my head at that time.

Why was there no one passing the street since I arrived here? It wasn't this quiet this morning.

I didn't realize this peculiarity before because I was too occupied in finding Sumire. But now that my head had cleared up a bit, I found this situation a bit strange.

Why was there no one picking up Sumire's cell-phone? If I could hear the ringtone from three houses away, didn't that mean the sound was loud enough for someone to find the cell-phone and answer my call? And yet, no one picked it up. I barely met anyone either on my way to this empty field.

"No one will pass here."

I swallowed and glanced back at the man. I had a notion that he had done something. It sounded impossible… but if his shadow could do something like this…

Hesitantly, I opened my mouth. "…A barrier?"

He grinned. "Yes. A barrier. It's interesting that you managed to get through the barrier without even realizing."

Damn.

I tried to move my feet, but it wouldn't budge. When I looked down, my shoes could no longer be seen. It was already devoured by the shadow.

"Damn it!" I couldn't help but thrashing around to free myself, but it was futile. Panic engulfed me once again. This time, I couldn't calm down. I desperately tried to pull away from the shadow, but no matter how much I moved, all my limbs seemed to be sucked in.

That was when the idea struck my head.

"You couldn't be…" I murmured and looked up at the man. "Are you the one who kidnapped Sumire?"

For a moment, there was no reaction from the man. However, after a while, he shrugged his shoulders and stepped forward. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said and snatched my wrist where Natsume's necklace was tied to. However, the moment the man touched the chain wrapped around my wrist, his smile was gone.

I used this chance to pull my hand back, but he wouldn't let go. "Let go, damn it!"

The man didn't heed me. His gaze was still on the pendant, as if there was something wrong with it. "A trace of magic," I heard him murmur. His forefinger caressed the pendant lightly. "It's weak, but there used to be a barrier surrounding this necklace. This mark is… invisibility barrier, huh?"

What?

The man returned his attention to me before I could digest what he was talking about. "Is this your doing?"

"Huh?"

Even with my unintelligible response, the eerie grin returned to his face. Really, this man was dangerous. I couldn't figure out what was running inside his head. "He will be pleased," he said. Then a chuckle slipped out of his lips, sending goosebumps down my spine. "You and the pendant. They will be the greatest gifts given to him." The shadow under me sucked my feet even stronger, dragging me down faster. The stranger kept his hold on my wrist, the grin not leaving his face.

At that time, I realized I was losing. But I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing me helpless. Not wanting to show him my fear, I gathered my courage, curled my right hand into a fist, and aimed it at his forearm. Caught by surprise, the stranger let go of my wrist and took a step back, away from my reach. "Just be obedient. You can do nothing," he said while caressing the sore spot on his forearm.

Bringing the pendant close to my chest, I threw him a glare, irked by the fact that he was almost right. If only I could fight back, no way in hell I would let this stranger touch me and take away the only thing that connected me to Natsume. If only I could free myself… If only I had a bit of his power…

Just when I was almost surrendering myself to the situation, a sudden force wrapped around my shoulders and tugged me away from the man's reach, catching me by surprise. My limbs were immediately freed from the shadow due the unexpected hard pull. But before I could rejoice and thank whatever my savior was, I found myself entering the darkness. The view of the blue sky, the field, the houses, and the man drifted further before the darkness swallowed the hole I had just entered.

After that, I saw nothing but black.

It was so dark…

Just like in the nightmare…

I pressed my palms tightly to my chest, holding tighter to Natsume's pendant for comfort. My heart beat fast. Not knowing what would happen next frightened me. Not to mention I still hadn't found Sumire.

Now, not only Auntie, Brother would also scold me for worrying him. Sorry, Brother, but things just spiraled out of my control. I was nothing when facing something a normal human being couldn't go against.

Something wrapped around my body firmly and curled around my neck, pushing the air out of my lungs. It felt like my whole being was being suppressed and squeezes to fit into a small hole. I gasped and lifted my head, trying to breathe, but it was futile. I tried to shout, but my voice wouldn't come out. My consciousness gradually faded and all the remaining energy I had left me in no time.

Soon after, my eyelids dropped and I lost all my senses.

…Ah, didn't this feel so familiar?

Yeah, just like in my dream.

Only this time, there was no one calling out to me, not even Natsume.

I was all alone.


	3. 2nd Hint: Squirrel and Fox

**Greetings, readers! It has been a long time!**

**To be honest, I once considered discontinuing this story, due to many reasons. However, after thinking longer while getting busy with real life, I decided to revise and continue the story.**

**I know this won't be an easy journey, seeing as GA fandom seems to have fewer readers now and I can't promise regular updates like what I did a few years ago. But I hope the readers, whether those who are still remaining in this site and those who are new, will be willing to follow me and this story to the end.**

**So yeah, both Fridays in December and Trace of a Black Cat had been revised. Those who still remember the previous version might find so many things changed in this version. I need to do those changes since it's important to the plot.**

**If you want to, you can read Fridays in December all over again. It didn't change much. I only did a small change in important parts, but I think they're important details for this story.**

**Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this story. Thank you for taking your time reading this long Author's note.**

**Revised: September 28th, 2013.**

**-o-O-o-**

**Trace of a Black Cat**

**-o-**

**2nd Hint: Squirrel and Fox**

**-o-O-o-**

I was never really afraid of the darkness.

Except if there were ghosts involved in it.

Before, my perception of the darkness was… it was merely dark, or dim; the kind that was like the atmosphere at night or when the light was off. Despite the lack of illumination, my eyes still could figure out the outlines of things. Even though I was alone, I wasn't bothered by it, because I knew there was light somewhere that would chase the darkness away soon.

But it was before I was thrown into this pure blackness.

Compared to the darkness I had gotten used to in my eighteen years of life, this was the worst. Even though I had my eyes wide open and focused on the view in front of me, I still couldn't see anything. No shapes of things. No dim lighting. Nothing.

It was completely murky.

Perhaps it was just my silly opinion, but I thought the darkness strangled me. I couldn't sense the surface, ground, or anything under my feet. It made me feel uncomfortable. It felt like I was falling slowly into the bottomless darkness. There was also no sound here, even a tiny noise of blowing wind. Only an irritating buzzing sound that I could hear ringing in my head. And then, though there was nothing but darkness around me, I felt suffocated. It seemed like this dark empty air itself was alive and smothered me from all directions, pressuring me, choking me slowly.

Panic and fear ran through my whole being. My instinct crazily sent signals to my brain, telling me to get out of this place quickly. However, the more I struggled, the more the darkness affected me.

I was scared, so afraid that I couldn't find my voice. I yelled inside my head, calling my brother again and again, though I knew it was futile. With this much darkness engulfed me, I lost the reign of my whole being. I thought I was going insane.

So I decided to stop thinking. Let the darkness embrace me.

This way, I should be fine, even though I was falling deeper into this endless emptiness.

_SLAP!_

I gasped at the stinging pain on both of my cheeks. Blinding white light filled my sight all of a sudden, forcing me to close my eyes almost immediately. I lifted one arm to block the light from my eyelids while my brain tried to figure out what was actually happening.

I was in the darkness a moment ago. Falling. Helpless. I thought I had my eyes wide open when I was in the pitch black space, so why was there a light out of nowhere…?

"Hey! Are you all right? Can you hear me?"

Who?

I opened my mouth to reply, but what was coming out was a single weak 'ah'.

"I guess it's almost working," I heard the person say before another slap landed on my right cheek. Hard and without mercy.

Upon receiving the unexpected attack, I yelped, just like any other normal person would do, and sat up straight away, bumping my forehead into something hard even before I could sit properly. Groaning in pain, I caressed my sore forehead and lay back. Another groan similar to mine, only it was of a male's, was heard not far from the spot where I reclined.

"Geez, you have a quite sturdy head."

Sitting up once again, I opened one of my eyes, attempting to get a glimpse of the owner of the groan as well as the abuser. The first thing I noticed was the wild and stood out light-brown colored hair.

But wait. What was that pair of brown things that stuck out of his hair? They were small, thin, and a bit furry. And the shape, it looked like animal ears, a bit similar to squirrel's.

I wondered if it was some kind of accessories, like a headband.

The abuser rubbed his forehead one last time before putting his hand away and lifting his gaze at me. I was met with a pair of brown eyes, which complimented his rather fair skin. Those eyes seemed to be sparkling with happiness as soon as our gazes clashed, a wide smile making its way to his lips.

"Hello! Glad you're awake!" he greeted so cheerfully that I could almost see a radiant light emanating from him.

I was speechless, not knowing whether it was from the shock after being slapped awake or getting my head bumped hardly, or for finding a strange lad with weird accessories on his head smiling at me. In the few moment of silence, my gaze wandered to the view behind him. All I could see was the green color of lush trees and bushes, and dark brown color of barks and ground.

There was no house or shop. No street. No pedestrian. There wasn't even a single noise of people talking or passing vehicles could be heard, only the subtle sound of wind blowing and birds chirping. I thought I could hear the cries of the crickets too.

I looked up and was amazed to discover how tall the trees were, the apex gone behind the white clouds as if they were connected to the sky like the tree in Jack and the Beanstalk story. I didn't recall there was such kind of place in Japan, especially in the region I was living. Or perhaps there was one and I wasn't aware of it?

I brought my attention back to the boy and noticed he was still smiling so innocently. "Err…" I scratched my head, not really knowing what to ask. There were just too many questions running in my mind now, and his straight stare only made me nervous.

The boy's eyebrows rose. It seemed like he heard my mumble. He then leaned in a bit and smiled even wider. "Yeah?"

I decided to ask the most common question. "Who are you?"

He grinned, took my hand without my consent, and shook it. "I'm Koko. Nice to meet you, Mikan."

I blinked, surprised to learn that the stranger actually knew me. "How did you know my name? Did we ever meet before?"

"Nope."

"Then?"

"Sumire often told me about you," he replied lightly. "She also showed me the photos of both of you together a few times."

"You know Sumire?" I was dumbfounded to hear him mention my best friend's name. As far as I remembered, Sumire had never told me she had an acquaintance named Koko and his weird hobby of wearing an animal ears headband.

"She doesn't mention anything about me to you?"

I shook my head frantically.

Koko scratched the back of his neck and sighed. "Then I don't know whether I can tell you about our relationship or not."

I tilted my head in bewilderment at his statement, not really understanding what he was saying. Sumire barely hid anything from me, except if she thought the thing didn't have anything to do with me and really wasn't worth to be discussed at all. When things got complicated, she usually would seek me, tell me what her problem was, and look at me with those puppy eyes she never showed in front of other people, silently asking me whether I had a solution for her or not.

Same thing went with me. I would also look for her when I had things I couldn't share with my brother. Despite the same blood that was running in our pulses, he was still a guy. I was a girl, and there were things only fellow female could understand. Besides, my brother often made a joke at the wrong moment, on the wrong subject.

But there was one time I couldn't speak about my problem to Sumire, and the cause of the problem was no other than Natsume. I meant, Sumire hardly believed in the things she never saw. I remembered when I said I witnessed a ghost at the school's old warehouse when I was still a kid. She only snorted and waved me off. Since then, I never talked to her about spirits or such kind of things.

So, when I saw Koko's troubled and forlorn face, I wondered what relationship could the two of them have that Sumire couldn't even share with me. Did she think it was useless to talk to me about it? But she still whined to me even though I wasn't able to solve her problem with her first boyfriend.

"You can't tell me?" I looked up at Koko with hope, but he only grinned weakly.

"It's up to Sumire. You can ask her when you see her later."

Of course. She would kill me if I forced to pry into her private life which she concealed from me.

…Wait.

"I _can't_ ask her," I said as realization hit me. Sumire disappeared, and I didn't even know where she was. I was supposed to call Auntie and contact police, but what the heck I was doing now in this kind of place? And, God, how long had I been out until Koko slapped me awake? Auntie must have been worried that I didn't notify her of my situation for who-knew-how-long. I could just pray she hadn't called my brother yet, or I would get a super tight hug and two hours of sermon when I reached home later.

I stood up and looked around me, trying to find a way out. No matter how hard I narrowed my eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of vehicles or people passing by, I could only see trees and bushes everywhere. The forest seemed desolate.

How did I get myself into this?

Oh. The suspicious man. Right.

After the darkness surrounded me, I knew nothing more of what happened subsequently. When I came to, I was already in this place with my cheeks stinging from Koko's slap.

Damn. Who was the suspicious man actually? Showing up from nowhere, saying strange things, and even trying to steal Natsume's pendant from me. Pendant…

The mention of Natsume's pendant struck me hard like a lightning. Realizing what the man had been trying to take back then, I lifted my left hand and allowed myself to let out a sigh of relief when I saw the necklace dangling there. Thank God the pendant didn't fall into the man's hands. I wouldn't know what to do if that happened.

"Why can't you ask her?" Koko's sudden question brought me out of my thought.

I stared blankly at him for a few seconds before the question finally registered in my head. The panic from before returned. "She disappeared," I replied shortly and started to pace back and forth, my heart thumping loudly in my chest as I worked my brain trying to sort out what was actually going on. "Sumire didn't come to school today. I called her house, but Aunt said she had left in the early morning like usual. But I didn't see her, so I went out of school to search for her." I kept on rambling, recalling what happened before. "I ended up at the empty field and found Sumire's phone there, but there was no sign of her. And then a strange guy wearing a weird magician hat showed up—"

"It's Goshima."

"Yeah, that Goshima guy—"

Wait.

I stopped pacing and furrowed my eyebrows once the unfamiliar name was registered in my brain. "Goshima?" I echoed, turning my head to look at Koko with one eyebrow raised. "Now you tell me, how did I end up here and why did you know that man?"

Koko rolled his eyes up and did a brief thinking before he answered, "I was hiding there in the first place, even before he put up the barrier. That's why he couldn't sense me."

"Sense you?"

"Yes, he can tell if someone's intruding his barrier. That's how he knew you were coming." Koko blinked. "Now that reminds me. How did you go through his barrier?"

His last sentence shut me up and made question myself the same thing. "I don't know. I didn't feel anything…" I glanced at the ground. If my memory didn't fail me, I did remember the Goshima guy mention something about getting through the barrier, and that me along with Natsume's necklace being gifts to someone. So, did it mean I had a super power too? But why the heck that super power didn't come out when that man was about to swallow me up in his shadow—

Wait. Koko said he had been in the place even before Goshima put up the barrier, which meant he must have witnessed the moment from when I ran into the field and faced Goshima, right?

At the realization, I narrowed my eyes at the smiling male in front of me. "Koko, you were hiding in the field the whole time, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Then why didn't you do anything to help me when that Goshima guy showed up?"

"Whoa, wait there!" Koko lifted both of his hands in front of him. "You didn't expect me to jump out and reveal myself without assessing the situation first. You can't take that guy lightly, you know. One wrong move and I would have been in the same situation as you back then. If that happened, who would help both of us?"

It was annoying, but he had a point there. "Uh… thanks?" I said unsurely.

"Accepted." Koko grinned. "Besides, I got to hear interesting things back there," he added, his gaze lowered to my wrist where the pendant was tied to. At that moment, his smile vanished. His eyes also no longer held the cheerfulness from a few moments ago. He looked solemn.

Feeling uncomfortable with the sudden stillness, I brought the pendant to my chest and covered it with my other hand. "So, uh, who is this Goshima?" I asked, trying to divert Koko's attention from the necklace.

Koko stood up and dusted his pants. "He used to be a magician in the country of Haga. Trusted by the Haga's lord even. But he betrayed the country. No one saw that coming." His eyes turned a darker brown as he muttered the last part.

"Oh," was the only response I could give. I really didn't know what to say after seeing his grim expression now. It seemed like I had asked the wrong question. I was afraid the atmosphere would only get gloomier if I said the wrong sentence.

But then, another question emerged in my mind. Something wasn't right with his words just now. Something that I thought I heard wrong.

"Koko."

"Yeah?"

"Did you just say 'country of Haga'?" Was there even a country with such name in this world?

There was a few seconds pause before he replied, "Yeah."

"Ha-ga? H-a-g-a?" I spelled, reassuring myself that we heard the same word. My heart was pounding quickly. In the midst of confusion, a small voice in the back of my head repeated the same sentence. _Please tell me I heard it wrong. Please tell me I heard it wrong. Please tell me—_

The voice immediately stopped when a single word slipped out of Koko's mouth, confirming my doubt. "Yes. H-a-g-a. Haga." And he grinned innocently, not aware of the unspeakable shock that struck straight at me followed by the misery which washed upon me like heavy rain.

What the heck had I gotten myself into?

-o-O-o-

If this was only a dream, I wished I could wake up. I wished I could hear the alarm sound in the distance. I wished I could open my eyes due to the lost of warmth because my blanket was snatched away by my brother. If only…

But, if I had to face the truth, there was no disturbing sound of alarm or any snuggly quilt covering me right now, not even my brother's bossy voice commanding me to wake up.

No matter how hard I slapped my cheeks, pinched every bare skin my hands could reach, and hit my forehead to Koko's hardly in order to wake up from this ridiculous dream, I kept seeing the same view and feeling the same warm breeze. The result I got from my futile attempts was the sore on my forehead as well as the skin I pinched before. Koko's silent curses in the background also got a number in my list of proof of reality.

I could only cry inwardly, weeping over my fate.

"Damn. You hit good," Koko muttered behind me, his curses finally ceasing. "I think I just lost a few of my brain cells." I could imagine him rubbing his forehead while saying that. His words didn't humor me at all. I didn't think he deserved a hit on the forehead for all the unlucky events that fell upon me, but a small voice in the back of my head convinced me that he deserved it for taking me into this foreign world—which he called Alicia—and not to mention the painful squeezing that I had to experience due to the teleportation between world. Well, I was thankful that he kept my cell-phone, and Sumire's too. I had asked him if he could send me back, but he said his device was broken due to the fall when we arrived in this place, which meant there was no way for me to go home. For this moment.

I glanced at Koko from the corner of my eye. Sure enough, he was rubbing his forehead. "Sorry…" I murmured.

Koko stopped massaging his forehead and looked at me, probably wondering about my sulking state. "I'm only kidding."

"I know."

"Don't worry. I know the creator of the device. I can ask her to make it again and you can go home." Koko paused. "The only problem is she's currently away in another town…"

The last statement dropped my spirit.

Silence then engulfed us, and the gentle whisper of wind teased my ears again. The soft friction between leaves filled in the long interlude.

I dragged my gaze to the sight in front of me. That, I realized, was the first time I noticed how beautiful the landscape below this hill ever since Koko led me out of the forest of tall trees. A small town was built amid the green valley. In the middle of the town, there was a large open park. A bit to the north, not far from the park, a huge palace-like building stood up in its glory. High up in its apex was a red colored flag. I couldn't figure out the picture in the middle of the flag since it was too small.

The wind blew again, harder this time. I closed my eyes and felt the cold air caressing my face.

Vaguely, I could hear soft crunches of feet against the grass joined in the calming nature orchestra. The sound became louder and louder as it neared me. The noise then stopped once it was behind me and I felt a soft pat on the crown of my head.

"Something bothers you aside from that?"

I sighed at Koko's stupid question. Sumire was missing. A suspicious man chased after me to get Natsume's pendant. I was brought to another world. Auntie must be worrying about me right now, and I was sure to get a hug and sermon from my brother when I returned later. How worse things could get? "Many," I mumbled.

"Mind telling me?"

I looked up at him and found he had his full attention on me, his lips curling up in a perfect bow. This guy was smiling too much, I noted. Exhaling softly, I turned to the view under the hill again and said, "You see, I think I have a really bad luck today."

He crouched beside me. "Why so?"

I was about to reply when a shout with Koko's name in it reverberated in the air. I blinked at Koko, wondering whether he heard the same yell. He replied my confusion with a small grin and stood up. It seemed like there was someone approaching us since Koko lifted his right arm and waved at whoever it was behind me. I didn't understand the meaning of his grin though.

Curious, I craned my head to the direction Koko was currently facing. Sure enough, there was a figure running to our way, one hand imitating Koko's waving frantically.

As the gap shortened, I could finally get a good look at the person. It was a boy, seemingly about the same age as Koko. He had slanting eyes, almost forming straight lines. Another thing he had that was similar to Koko was the fox ears that stood straight among his dark-brown hair. Only, Koko's wasn't of a fox, since his was smaller and rounder.

Seriously, was there a festival going on that required people to wear animal ears?

"Good thing I found you here!" the boy panted as he stopped before us. There was a brief moment of silence while he took his time to take deep breaths due to running.

"You look like you're being chased by the Queen of Dragon, Kitsuneme," Koko joked, which got a fierce glare from the boy.

"Medusa exploded," the boy, Kitsuneme, blurted after he finally got a good amount of oxygen in his lungs.

Upon hearing his statement, I raised an eyebrow and looked at Koko, only to find a big grin etched on his face. "She did?" Koko asked.

Kitsuneme rolled his eyes. "I didn't understand why she wouldn't," he grumbled. "You left her after you took her here, only telling me to convey your message after she's unconscious. I did just that and she became a medusa all of a sudden. Thank God she couldn't turn me into stone."

"She's mad."

"No doubt."

"Any message from her?"

"'I will turn that guy into Koko Crunch'," Kitsuneme said in a girly tone before he sighed. "I don't know what she meant by Koko Crunch. But I have a feeling that it's not something good. You're in a deep trouble, man."

Koko merely shrugged.

"What are you two talking about?" I asked, completely bewildered by their conversation.

Koko's lips curled into a mysterious smile as he patted my head. "You'll know later."

That only made me curious even more.

By then, Kitsuneme seemed to finally realize my presence because the next moment he said, "A new girl, Koko? You're in a serious danger."

I immediately smelled trouble.

-o-O-o-

I never went to Disneyland before, so I didn't know how it felt like to be in a replica of a small village in the fantasy world, such as the one in the Cinderella story, or Beauty and the Beast, etcetera etcetera.

And now, standing on the hard tiled pavement and watching people wearing clothes I had never seen in my modern world, I couldn't bring myself to stop gaping at the complete foreign sight. Not to mention most of the civilians had animal ears on their heads. Theirs were all similar to Koko's, small and round, differing only in color.

"A bee will make your mouth their new house if you don't close it soon," Koko warned as he placed one hand on my shoulder.

Realizing I was embarrassing myself, I quickly closed my mouth and looked down at the pavement, heat creeping to my cheeks. When I glanced up once again, I noticed a few people looking at me strangely. One of them was a man sitting on the porch of a house with 'Raven Tavern' sign attached on the roof. He eyed me up and down, as if I was a creature he had never seen before.

The attentions made me feel eerie and I decided to stay beside Koko as we walked, just to get a bit of comfort. "Is it just my feeling or are they actually looking at me with a 'who is this female alien' stare?" I asked Koko in a low voice while trying to catch up with his pace.

"I believe it's not just your feeling," Koko confirmed my doubt. "Just like the reaction you had seconds ago, they are also thinking the same about you. Your different attire really stands out."

I looked down at my clothes. A white shirt, navy colored blazer, and red pleated skirt, complete with a school bag. It was actually normal, well, in our world. "Don't blame me. This is what we should wear at school," I said, adjusting the strap of my bag nervously. I could understand why they thought my clothes were strange, but I didn't think it was a big deal. The animal ears on their heads were far more strange.

Koko chuckled. "I doubt your daily clothes are any different."

I thought for a while. "Well, they are… at least to us," I trailed off and continued surveying my new surroundings.

Colorful wooden houses, square shaped windows and wooden doors. Whether it was one-story or two-story, the styles didn't differ much. Their shapes reminded me of the seven dwarfs' house in Snow White, or civilians' residences in the RPG games. The houses were painted so colorfully it amused me. A few houses even had a rectangle pot containing lines of flowers right in front of the window. Really classic.

This town was also lively. People walked back and forth, some of them forming a small circle in front of a house or a shop for a small chit-chat. Children ran around and squealed, playing hide and seek or whatever they named the game here.

Overall, this place was awesome. The cheerful various colors which covered this town and its lively surroundings really screamed 'fantasy' and 'Disneyland.'

"Do you prefer staying there?"

The brief moment of my admiration immediately dissolved as I turned to the owner of the voice. Six steps in front of me, Kitsuneme waited impatiently, one hand on his hip. "We'll leave you if you keep on spacing out." He motioned to Koko who had been walking far from us and then turned to catch up with him.

"Hey! Wait!" I quickly ran after Kitsuneme, not wanting to be left alone in the place I was unfamiliar with. But I couldn't help stealing glances from the corner of my eye, taking more views I could only see in the amusement park. Humble tents of shops lined along the street and the smell of bacon from a tent that sold food lingered in the air. If only this truly was Disneyland and I had a camera with me, I could take some pictures for memories.

My gaze then wondered to a toy tent when I caught something, or rather someone familiar standing in the alley.

Magician hat… dark colored cloak… a mask covering the person's face…

My chest thumped once when I recognized the figure, fear immediately surfacing within me. Prying my gaze from the person, I quickened my pace and tried to synchronize my steps to Kitsuneme's. At least the guy wouldn't be able to do anything to me when there were so many people here, mainly when there was someone beside me.

I risked another glance at the alley for the last time, wanting to make sure whether the figure was who I thought he was. However, the mysterious shadow was no longer there.

Did I only imagine it?

A sudden hard bump on my shoulder brought me back to my current situation. I turned my attention to the person I had bumped into and quickly apologized. To my dread, it was a huge man, his hard and firm looking muscles bare for the world to see since he was wearing sleeveless shirt. His angry triangle eyes were glaring at me and the stubble on his square shaped face only made him look more vicious. I was sure he could crush me into pieces in no time.

"Uh… sorry… Sir…" I apologized once again, a bit stiff this time.

The huge man crossed his arms in front of his chest and eyed me up and down. "Never saw that kind of clothes before," he grunted as the crease between his eyebrows deepened. "Newcomer?"

I noticed a few people stopped to look at us. "Uh…"

The man lifted one eyebrow, then he bent his head down and looked at me closely. This time, I noticed he also had a pair of small brown ears on his head, like bear's. I had to hold my breath when I caught the smell of his breath though. It was a mix of beer stench and rotten meat. I might puke if I had to face him a bit longer.

"You have no ears and your clothes are strange." He paused for a while. "Are you a magician?"

At the word 'magician', I could hear murmurs around me. It was then I realized that people had crowded around us, probably curious of what was going on. Kitsuneme was nowhere to be found.

This time, I knew I was in a serious trouble.

I gulped, not knowing what to say. Yes or no. One of the answers could be a wrong choice at that time. If I said yes, would the crowd pounce on me without mercy? Because I thought they were all ready to pulverize me to meat, even with their stares. If I said no, how would I explain about the ears and strange clothes?

"Answer me, girl!" the muscled man snapped all of a sudden, causing me to jump a bit.

"No, I'm not!" the words flew out of my lips out of surprise. It was already late when my hands clamped my stupid mouth at the next second.

"No?" The man raised an eyebrow. "Then what are you?"

Damn. Now what?

"Ah, there you are."

I almost breathed in relief when the familiar voice broke the tense atmosphere and its owner emerged from the crowd. Koko, with his trademark smile, walked approaching me, Kitsuneme following from behind. So that was why he disappeared all this time, to fetch Koko to help me. I thanked Kitsuneme inwardly for that.

When Koko came to stand beside me, the muscled man took a step back in surprise. "Your friend?"

Koko nodded. "Yes, she was kidnapped by certain magicians. Her ears were cut and they imprisoned her to make her their guinea pig. That's why she looks like this."

I thought my eyes almost budged out of their sockets. The hell, Koko?

"It's a good thing that she managed to escape from them when they were unguarded. That's how I found her in my little walking session."

Murmurs erupted once again in the air after Koko finished his sentence. When I scrutinized the crowd, I noticed their stares had changed from curious and wary to the look of pity and sadness. I groaned inwardly, already knowing I wouldn't like the way things would be after this.

The muscled man nodded and looked at me, though he didn't look as scary as before. It seemed like he accepted Koko's lie with ease. The man patted me on the head, his lips forming a grin. "It's a tough experience you had there, little girl. But don't worry. We, the civilians of Rom, will protect you if they come to get you."

I could only offer him a nervous smile, not even able to mutter 'thanks'. This matter had gone beyond my imagination and I didn't know how to fix it. Then again, perhaps this was for the best. Definitely better than ended up lifeless in a strange world for no apparent reason. I was glad my ears were hidden behind my hair. I wondered what their reaction would be if I showed them my human ears though, but it wouldn't be a good decision for now.

A gentle pat on my back brought my attention to Koko, who winked at me when our eyes made contact.

Oh dear.

A few moments later, after more encouraging and comforting words from the civilians, the crowd finally dispersed and the muscled man ruffled my hair one last time before walking away, leaving Koko, Kitsuneme, and I together once again.

We stood there for a while, until Koko turned and motioned for us to follow him. I took this chance to catch after him to whisper, "Do all magicians here look like me? A human?"

"They are human," Koko said, not slowing down his stride. "But human magicians are hated here. We have a bit dark and bloody history with them. It should have been over with a truce our ancestors made with the human magicians' ancestors, that we wouldn't trespass the borders both sides had agreed to. But it seems like some of them are still hunting for us for their stupid magic experiment."

"This explains why they seem to bear deep hatred toward magicians." I gulped, remembering the dark stares I got from the people a few moments ago. "I will be in a deep trouble if they find out I actually have ears, though it's not in the same place as yours."

Koko waved me off. "They won't, except if you tell them yourself. And I know you're not that stupid to risk your life for something unimportant as the ears problem."

"I thought it's only a headband for festival."

He laughed. "Sumire also thought the same thing at first."

"So… it's real?"

"Mhm."

"Can I touch it?"

Koko glanced at me knowingly. "I'm afraid you can't."

His statement piqued my interest. "Why?"

He scratched the tip of his nose awkwardly and muttered, "To us, it's rather an intimate act. Only a lover or spouse is allowed to do that."

"I see…" My thought drifted to the memory of the last day in December that I spent with Natsume. I remembered I once unintentionally scratched his ear when I ruffled his hair at that time. After that, he immediately withdrew from me and looked away. Could it be that the thing Koko told me just now was also applied to him? Now I thought about it. Natsume also had ears and tail. It wouldn't be a surprise if he actually came from this world.

I blinked and laughed at my silly conclusion. How could I think he was from this world? He was a December cat-human ghost.

Pushing the thought aside, I dragged my gaze back to the street and noticed the sum of the houses lessened as an open field and a huge and tall building came into my view. I was awed at how elegant the building was. Tall and extensive. The white colored wall seemed sturdy. There were three towers which stood on each corner, and the highest one stood in the middle of the building.

I looked up at the apex of the highest tower and immediately recognized the familiar flag which fluttered at the end of the pole as the one I saw from the hill. Only this time, I could make out the picture in the middle of the flag clearly. In the middle of the red colored background, there was a brown colored walnut. Thin line of a gold ribbon wrapped loosely around the walnut like wind.

"It's a cute flag," I commented.

Koko chuckled. "Thanks. No one ever called it cute before."

"Um, sorry?"

"No problem."

From the small tiled pavement street, we stepped into a spacious park. Once we stood in the middle of it, I could see there were other three streets heading to different directions: west, north, and east. Koko headed to the north, which no longer had civilians' residences. Trees, grass, and flowers decorated the right and left side of the road instead. And not more than a hundred meter ahead, a tall, dark brown gate and fences stood straightly, guarding the palace-like building which resided on the other side.

At this moment, I realized there were no more people lurking at the place. I still could spot some people at the park when I turned my head back, but none of them came near to this street. There were just Koko, Kitsuneme, and I.

I felt uncomfortable all of a sudden. "Koko?"

"Yeah?" he responded but didn't stop walking.

"Where are we heading to?"

"The palace."

My jaw dropped a bit. "Are you kidding me? Why should we go there?"

"I want you to meet someone."

"Koko, it's the palace."

"And?"

My hands became sweaty as the distance between the gate and us lessened. I squeezed my hands in order to calm my panic, but it was futile.

I looked at Kitsuneme for help, thinking that maybe his friend could knock some sense into him. But how surprised I was when Kitsuneme did nothing about Koko's indifference and continued walking so casually. When I turned my attention back to the gate, Koko had already stood there, waiting for us to catch up. It was then a question struck me.

I swallowed hardly. "Koko, who are _you_?"

His grin was wide, wider than the ones he ever showed me before.

"Welcome to the country of Rom, Mikan Sakura. I, Kokoro Yume, the first prince of this country, will guide you through your journey in the palace."

Oh, God. Now what?


End file.
